Monday, April 1, 2024

The Ultimate Guide To A Northern Lights Cruise: How To See The Stunning Natural Phenomenon

northern lights cruise 2023

This is a difficult question to answer, as sightings are more dependent on cloud cover and luck than anything else, and the weather is so varied around the Norwegian coast. Charming and postcard-pretty, Stavanger is an idyllic coastal town, famous for its perfectly preserved wooden buildings (some dating back to the 18th century) and miles of pristine white sand. The excursion program presented is an indication of some of the excursions that may be available during your voyage. Dr Darren Baskill has over 25 years’ experience of organising and delivering public science events. He is a lecturer and outreach officer for the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Sussex, and typically runs 100 outreach events each year for schools, colleges, and the public. Darren is also a director of Ensonglopedia, a musical theatre company based in Lewes.

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Whether you’re traversing the wild terrain of the Last Frontier or spending your days exploring cities like Bergen and Alesund, we have an ideal itinerary for you. See The Northern Lights with Aurora Expeditions and our Expedition Team will take you on excursions unique to the High Arctic, fully included in the cost of your expedition. For those interested in a little extra excitement, there are optional activities designed to get you closer to the action. Our Northern Lights expeditions provide a mix of comfort and adventure; for those willing to explore the Arctic the memories will last a lifetime. The ‘auroral zone’ starts in Northern Norway just above the Lofoten Islands and extends up the coast to the North Cape (Nordkapp) and beyond. You will observe the same light display from anywhere in this region, but from a different angle.

Alaska Cruises to See The Northern Lights

northern lights cruise 2023

The Coastal Express serves as both a passenger cruise line and a lifeline for Norwegian coastal residents and these working ships transport locals’ cars, fjord towns’ freight and up to 1,000 total passengers on any given day. In Antarctica, we have many opportunities to encounter penguins, seals and whales, and occasionally we may even spot leopard seals or orcas. In the Arctic, we’ll paddle under nesting bird colonies, past massive glaciers and around large icebergs, however we maintain a safe distance from polar bears and walruses.

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Our guides carry rifles and flare guns in the Arctic to ensure your safety against polar bears. We also have expert-led programs within the expedition, such as lectures or photography sessions, to enhance your understanding and capturing capabilities. We think the best Northern Lights cruises offer so much more than an exciting search for the magical aurora borealis. That’s why, on a P&O Cruises Northern Lights holiday, you’ll have the chance to explore a host of breathtaking destinations, dive into adventures ashore and soak up a huge range of entertainment, dining and relaxation on board.

Northern Lights Cruises November 2023

northern lights cruise 2023

An aurora is a natural light display that can appear as brilliant green, yellow, red, blue and purple light patterns, spirals or dynamic flickers covering the night sky. The aurora borealis originates on the sun’s surface with a massive explosion of electromagnetic matter, which projects a stream of charged particles known as solar wind into space. When these particles approach Earth a few nights later, they distort our magnetic field. The excited, ionised atoms that enter our atmosphere through the poles emit light which, when emitted on a large scale, causes the phenomenon of the Southern and Northern Lights. Northern Lights experiences are best with a dark sky as the aurora is not strong enough to outshine the sunlight.

One of our favourite Norwegian phrases is, 'there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing,' and this couldn't be more true when it comes to a Northern Lights cruise. You'll want to ensure you're protected from the elements and packing layers is key, with wool or silk base layers and two or three layers of fleeces or wools on top, and don't forget the thermals for your legs, too. When you're not searching for the Northern Lights, there is also a sauna, outdoor hot tubs on the deck, multiple restaurants to try, and a well-equipped gym. In the Arctic, the Northern Lights season runs from the last week in September to the first week in April, Dr Mason explains. "On Hurtigruten’s voyages, you will be notified when the Northern Lights are visible at any point over the tannoy so you are guaranteed not to miss them." Read below to see what our lovely guests have said about our Northern Lights cruises.

4 Places to See the Northern Lights in the U.S. - AARP

4 Places to See the Northern Lights in the U.S..

Posted: Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Easily find and compare Northern Lights cruises in August 2023 from Copenhagen, Hamburg, Kiel, Southampton, and Warnemunde (Rostock), as well as other Northern European ports. Cruise lines such as AIDA Cruises, Cunard Cruises, MSC Cruises, P&O Cruises, and Silversea Cruises others offer itineraries that visit Northern Lights in September 2023. Easily find and compare Northern Lights cruises in September 2023 from Copenhagen, Hamburg, Kiel, Southampton, and Warnemunde (Rostock), as well as other Northern European ports. You'll sail into the 'Northern Lights City' of Alta where you'll be directly beneath the auroral oval.

Like us, they have a long history of serving local passengers and communities, and sail to places that most visitors to Greenland never see. Receive special offers, exciting new itineraries and fascinating articles delivered straight to your inbox. By breakfast, we will have reached the top of Norway and the town of Kirkenes, situated just a mile from the border. The ports we visited at night are now seen during the day for a full Norwegian coastal experience. Your astronomy adventure begins in Bergen, the cultural gateway to the fjords and the second-largest city in Norway.

Astronomy at Sea: Northern Lights Cruises, Solar Eclipse Cruises, Etc. - Matador Network

Astronomy at Sea: Northern Lights Cruises, Solar Eclipse Cruises, Etc..

Posted: Mon, 11 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Be the first to hear about our latest offers, exciting itineraries and inspirational articles. Our crew will announce occurrences of the aurora to your cabin or suite at any time of the day or night. All the cabins and suites on our ships have an ‘Northern Lights alert’ which will tell you whenever we spot sightings of the aurora, so you can rush to your window or outside to catch them. Book confidently with our Northern Lights Promise – get a free trip if the lights don't appear on select voyages (Ts&Cs apply). For the first time, we sail to or from the capital Oslo, journeying between Norway’s southernmost point and its northernmost. Elegant and thoughtfully designed, the warmth and appeal of our Cunard Queens is palpable the moment you step aboard.

Hurtigruten's MS Nordlys, for instance, has a modern, Arctic-inspired design, with a few luxuries on board. Expert guides will take you to the best local spots, amid beautiful landscapes, perfect for seeking out the elusive Aurora Borealis. A Northern Lights occurrence is defined as a sighting from the ship which is recorded by the ship’s deck officers and which is announced to passengers on board.

The huge Beerenberg volcano is the world’s northernmost active volcano, last erupting in 1985. The northern part of the island is a great place to look for whales and dolphins, and contains impressive glaciers, some of which reach the sea. If the weather is friendly, we will try to land at Kvalrossbukta, a relatively sheltered bay on the island’s west coast. This is one of the landings used to supply the Norwegian weather station at Olonkinbyen, a settlement situated on the eastern side of the island.

This is why Aurora Expeditions’ Northern Lights tours don’t focus on one spot or location. The Northern Lights are most frequently visible in high-latitude regions in the Arctic, but most accessible between 10° and 20° of the North Pole in a band called the ‘auroral zone’. Viking Cruises’ 13-day In Search of Northern Lights itinerary, travels from London (Tillbury), England to Bergen, Norway (and in reverse), with multiple on-board lectures about the myths and science of the northern lights and tips on best photographing them.

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